


Totally Cool

by HeyGoodLookin



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen, I don't know even know what this is, New Character - Freeform, and she's totally cool, awkward funny dustin makes an appearance, because he adores her, featuring Will because he deserves so much love, hello insomnia, kind of a new idea, punk rock vibes, steve is not at smooth as he once was, think elle king
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 01:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16053068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyGoodLookin/pseuds/HeyGoodLookin
Summary: Steve's got a crush on a new girl working at the police station and she's totally cool.Aka. Steve doesn't know what to do with himself at allAka. the new girl helps Will deal with his life crisis.LOTS OF FEELINGS HERE.





	Totally Cool

**Author's Note:**

> K so I've been trying to write out this concept for a while because this idea for a new character has been really sticking in my brain.   
> Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll continue this as a series or what so let me know what you think!   
> It's totally unedited and just basically a free-form story that I had to get out of my system. <3 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy :)

She was cool. 

There was no other way to describe her. 

But not in the “typical” cool sense, as in, she didn’t wear scrunchies and acid wash jeans and neon pink sweaters. She wasn’t MTV Madonna cool, she was different. The kind of cool that made her stand apart from everyone else. Tough with a devil may care attitude. 

She was working part time at the police station and was in training to become a cop. She had short bleach blonde hair and told stories that even made Hopper blush. She was one of guys without being uncomfortable, but she was also pretty. At least, that was what Steve thought. 

Because Steve thought Sam was about the best damn thing out there. And he didn’t understand why. Maybe it was the fact that Sam was nothing like Nancy. She wasn’t academic and she wasn’t magazine pretty. She sat with her legs spread out and didn’t wear any makeup. Just red lipstick when she was performing. 

Sam sang a garage band and when Steve saw them playing at the local fair, he about lost his mind. She was wearing cuffed blue jeans and a torn up black t-shirt and converse all star runners and quite frankly, Steve was smitten. 

The fact that Sam sat at the desk opposite his didn’t help matters. 

“The fuck are you look at, Herrington?” Sam glanced up from her note pad. 

Steve shifted his glance back to his work as quickly as he could. Shit. He’d been staring again. “Nothing,” he mumbled, hating the fact that he could feel himself blushing like a school girl. “This case has got me stumped is all.” 

“Mrs. Burfind’s cat went missing,” Sam rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, sounds like a real humdinger.” 

“You joke, but she loves that thing.” 

“Right,” Sam got up to make herself another coffee but stopped when she reached Steve’s desk. “Look man, if you’re gonna stare at me, try and be a little less obvious about it, okay?” 

Steve’s pen flew from his hands in shock. “Shit,” he cursed, chasing after it. “Yeah, sorry, I’m just— I dunno…” 

“It’s cool,” Sam leaned again his desk. “I know I’m weird.” 

“Yeah,” Steve found himself agreeing without thinking. “I mean, you’re not—“

“I’m weird,” Sam repeated with a small smirk. “I get it.”

“I wasn’t staring at you because I think you’re weird,” Steve took a deep breath. “Because I don’t. I don’t think you’re weird. I think you’re cool!” he paused for a second, collecting himself as he sat down again to face her. “Really cool.” 

“Jesus Christ,” Sam practically laughed. 

“What? You sing in a rock band, you’re gonna be a cop, and you don’t give a shit what anybody else thinks. That makes you pretty damn cool,” Steve explained nervously. God, he hadn’t been this nervous around a girl since… well, since Nancy. And even then, he wasn’t nervous like he was with Sam. With Nancy it was just boyish stupidity, with Sam it was intimidation and admiration. It was much stronger. 

“I’m also brash and obnoxious. But hey, whatever floats your boat, man.”

“You really don’t get it do you?”

“Get what?” Sam reached for the cigarette behind her ear. 

Steve moved his chair so he could truly look at her. “You’re awesome.” 

“Dude,” Sam laughed and took a drag from her cigarette. “I’m flattered, but you’ve got rocks in your head. Don’t waste your time on me, man. Go for some pretty girl. Some eye candy who’ll look great on your arm. Trust me, I’m not worth it.” 

“Don’t say that,” Steve hated how Sam had the tendency to talk down to herself. 

“Oh come off it, Harrington. Like you’d be caught dead hanging out with me outside of this place? You’re used to girls like Nancy Wheeler, not me. I look like I ate her for breakfast and hid her inside me.” 

Steve tried to stifle a chuckle. 

“It’s okay,” Sam grinned. “You’re aloud to laugh. I make fun of myself all the time. Anyway,” the girl started walking away from Steve’s desk. “My shift’s over so I’ll catch ya on the flip side.”

“Sure,” Steve flashed her a small smile. “I’ll see you around.” 

Sam was about to open the door when it burst open to reveal Dustin. “Steve?” he cried, looking around the office.

“Hey dude,” Sam grinned down at the teenager and messed up the hat on his head. 

“Oh hey Sam!” Dustin chirped, voice cracking slightly. “Didn’t know you were working today.”

“Sure you didn’t,” Sam muttered with a smirk. “You’re just a regular lady killer aren’t you?” 

Dustin flashed Sam a toothy smile. “I try.” 

Sam smiled at that. “So what’s got you all worked up?” 

“Trews is missing,” Dustin frowned. “My mom and me have been hunting for her all day.”

“Damn,” Sam cursed, finishing her cigarette. 

“Mrs. Burfind’s cat went missing yesterday,” Steve joined the pair by the door. “No sign of it yet.” 

“Don’t worry Dustin,” Sam wrapped an arm around the kid and gave him a tight squeeze. “We’ll find Trews. You’ve got my hawk eyes and Steve’s swagger. We’ve got it covered.” 

“Where you going?” Dustin looked up at Sam as she released him and opened the door. 

“I’ve got about an hour before band practice so I’m gonna grab a bite to eat and see if I can find your cat. I’ll see y’all later.” 

Dustin waited until Sam was had closed the door before he directed his attention back to Steve. 

“You’re blushing,” Steve chuckled. 

“I am not.” 

“Are too.”

“Am not!” Dustin put a hand to his face and groaned when he felt the heat radiating from it. 

“It’s not big deal,” Steve commented nonchalantly, 

“Not big deal?” Dustin cried, exasperated. “She’s like, twenty.” 

“Twenty-five, actually.” 

“Oh my God,” Dustin groaned, mortified. “I’m such a loser.” 

“No you’re not,” Steve reassured his friend. “Every guy gets a crush on an older woman at some point. It’s totally normal. And between you and me,” he looked down at the teenage boy in earnest. “I get it.” 

“You get it?”

“I get it,” Steve tried to stop his own blush forming. “Sam’s super cool.”

“She reads Tolkien,” Dustin smiled in spite of himself. 

“I know.”

“And she’s in a band.” 

“I know.”

“And you should ask her out.”

“I kno—“ Steve stared down at Dustin in shock. “No way.” 

“Yeah way. She totally digs you,” Dustin replied smoothly. 

“Yeah, no. Sam’s not into me at all.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

Steve rolled his eyes. “Fine. Look, the point is, it’s normal for you to have a crush on a really awesome girl. Sam is… really awesome.” 

 

***

 

“Hey kiddo,” Sam sat down next to Will on the park bench. “What brings you here all by your lonesome?” 

Will looked at Sam and shrugged, unsure of what to say. “I dunno.” 

“Your party not around?” 

“They’re at the arcade,” Will replied in a small voice. 

“You want me to give you a ride?” Sam gestured towards the motorcycle behind them. 

“Wow,” Will stared at the bike. “You can ride a motorcycle? That’s so cool.” 

Sam grinned at that. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty nifty, huh?” 

“I’ll say,” Will smiled. 

“Well, what do you say? How about we get you to that arcade?” 

“I dunno,” Will’s voice trailed off. “I just don’t really feel like it.” 

“You sick?”  
“Not really,” Will replied quietly. 

“Then what’s up?” Sam took her helmet off and leaned back against the park bench. “Something bothering you?” 

Will stared at the grass and sighed. “Kind of” 

“Look,” Sam put a hand on the kids’ shoulder. “Whatever’s going on, you can talk to me okay? We can be friends, no sweat.” 

“Really?” 

“Really,” Sam smiled. “In fact, I’ve got something I need to get off my chest too, so how about I go first and then you can tell me what’s bothering you.” 

“Okay,” Will liked the sound of that. “So what’s wrong?”

Sam took a deep breath before taking out her wallet and opening it to a picture. “I miss her.” 

Will leaned forward slightly so he could get a better look. “Is that your—“

“Girlfriend, yeah,” Sam frowned. “Well, ex-girlfriend now. She’s the reason why I’m here. I left Chicago because I needed a fresh start and my aunt lives here so I thought, why not.” 

“She’s pretty,” Will remarked earnestly. 

“Don’t I know it,” Sam replied with a nervous laugh. “Yeah, she was sure something. She was the drummer in my old band. Total bad ass.” 

“What happened?” Will asked before back-pedalling. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude or anything.” 

“Nah, you’re not being rude. It’s cool. I mean, it’s getting better. It still sucks but it’s getting better. Jill, that’s her name, she does a lot of drugs and I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. She tried to get me to take them too but I don’t really want to deal with the fact that I’m gay by taking cocaine.” 

“Whoah,” Will was stunned. “So you’re… gay?” 

Sam ran her hands across her face in frustration. “I thought so before.” 

“What do you mean, before?”

“I mean, before, Jill was it for me. I adored her. I loved her. I thought she was the only person I’d ever feel anything for and now there’s someone else and everything just so fucked up and confusing.” 

“Steve,” Will said quietly. “He’s the someone else, right?”

Sam groaned again. “Is it that obvious?” 

“Not really,” Will replied. “I just notice things, that’s all.” 

“Right, well I’m just really fucking confused now.” 

“But you like Steve?” 

“Yeah.”

“Well then focus on that.” 

Sam took a deep breath and put her wallet away again. “You’re right. I’m overthinking everything.” 

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“When did…” Will paused, unsure of how to continue. “When did you—like— _know_ you were gay? Was it when you met Jill or before then?” 

Sam observed Will for a moment, digesting his words. “I was in the seventh grade. That’s when I knew for sure.” 

“How?”

“Well,” Sam smiled at the boy sitting next to her. “I just knew. I guess I figured out that guys, for the most part, weren’t doing it for me. You know, all the other girls were like, Oh, I love Mick Jagger and I was like, obsessed with Olivia Newton John.” 

Will listened to Sam’s words and closed his eyes for a moment. “Were you scared?”

“Of course I was. And you know what? I still am. Being gay isn’t easy but you know what’s harder?” 

“What?”

“Lying to yourself. I hurt a lot more when I hid it from everyone. Keeping it to myself made me so depressed and so upset, I missed school all the time and didn’t want to hang out with my friends,” Sam put a comforting arm around Will. “So I’m guessing that’s why you’re not at the arcade then, huh?”

Will sniffed, trying to hold back his tears. “I’m scared they won’t understand.” 

“Wow, dude…” Sam took hold of both of Will’s shoulders and forced him to look at her. “They’ll understand. You’re mom will understand. Mike will understand. Trust me. They’re your best friends and they’re not going to leave you just because you’re different.” 

“Really?” 

“Really,” Sam assured the boy. “I give you my word. And you know what? Because y’all are so close, I wouldn’t be shocked if they actually know already. My best friend did. When I told Andrew, you know what he said?” 

“What?”

“He said, I know that,” Sam smiled. “He said, I’ve known that since the second grade.” 

“That’s amazing,” Will said earnestly. “So Andrew lives in Chicago?”

“He died, actually,” Sam sighed and leaned against the park bench again. “Another reason why I needed a fresh start.” 

Will put a careful hand of her shoulder. “Well you’ve got us now. The party. And Steve and Hopper and even Johnathan and Nancy. Johnathan thinks you’re totally cool.”

“Thanks, dude,” Sam couldn’t help but smile. 

“And I think you’re really cool too. You’re like a rock star.” 

“Hardly.” 

“Well, maybe one day. You never know,” Will smiled back at her. “You could be the next Pat Benetar.” 

“Yeah, only she’s hot.” 

“So are you,” Will said firmly. “Can you do me a favour?” 

“Sure,” Sam kicked a rock in the grass. 

“Feel like giving me a ride to the arcade?” 

Sam smiled from ear to ear and embraced Will. “Only if I can kick Max’s ass at Dig Dug again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Worth continuing or...?


End file.
